Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics

Less than a week and I have germination in my mini-greenhouse. So far four burpless cucumbers, six tomatoes and one butternut pumpkin. I also have two pink rhubarb which I started earlier than the rest. Who says it's still winter?

I'm only growing rhubarb from seed to see if it's possible. My rhubarb plants have never even flowered, let alone produced seed.

It's all looking pretty good BTB - great work Looks like you've got the same problem keeping up with the broccoli that we have. I made a big batch of broccoli soup on the weekend, but that still only got rid of 500g !


Absoluetly I've got tomato plants that came up on their own in March and are now flowering

Nice work love it

I need some advice:

This is the first time I've kept trout. I bought 60 advanced fingerlings from Gavin in May, but fed them sparingly until I had cycled the new system. I'm now feeding them twice a day, using the 3mm feed (and they are hammering it).

Question - what feed should I buy next? More 3mm, or increase to 5 or 7mm? Does all the feed colour the flesh, or do I need a specific feed? Is there an advantage to larger feed, or is it all the same fish waste in the end?

I've got about a quarter of the 5kg bucket of 3mm feed left - so I can mix the new and old feeds if it is necessary.

You could definately be feeding with either a 5mm or 7mm, I believe only the 7mm has the beta carotene in it.

You can mix the feeds but I find it handy to hang onto the smaller stuff for the next batch of fingerlings, just bag it and put in the freezer.

You're still using 3mm feed ?

It's definietely the case that only the 7mm feed has the beta carotene in it. The 5mm did last year as well, but not this year.

Mine have been on 7mm for several weeks now. I don't know how big your fish are, but they should be up to that size by now.

Yeah, their website lies However trout uptake the colour very quickly so it is not deemed necessary to add it to the smaller feeds.

Why shouldn't I use 3mm feed? The trout may need to swallow more often - but it's all the same stuff - isn't it?

Looks like a trip to BYAP is on the cards. Do you have the 7mm feed and the API ammonia test bottles?

It's not a problem, I was just surprised is all.

Picked our first cabbage yesterday...



Snails ate my cucumber seedlings

I fed the snail to the chickens

Just harvested our first trout. From the 1000L system, we took three (nine remaining). Their weights were 387, 352 and 379g.



From the 3000L system, we took eight (forty remaining). They were much smaller 276, 264, 241,227, 254, 234 and 179g.

The brussel sprouts are flowering - I wonder if they are supposed to do that?



Only vestigial signs on any sprouts - perhaps it doesn't get cold enough here? At least I know not to plant them next year!

The beds in the 3000L system are started to be cleaned out ready for the summer crops:

Still plenty of broccoli - and too much flat-leaf parsley!

One lettuce left in the second bed - I'm letting it go to seed. Bok choi, cucumber, watermelon and butternut pumpkin seeds. Still plenty of broccoli left, and two curly parsley seedlings



In the first bed there is plenty of celery, and some cabbages. Seedlings of cucumber and butternut pumpkin: